Project Management

Research and identify 3 effective leadership characteristics of a project manager. Why are these characteristics important to successful communication?

Identify and cite 3 sources in APA format to support your answer

There are several characteristics that make a project manager effective. In order to be an effective manager one of the first traits that a project manager needs to have is a vision of the project. Without this the project manager would not be able to communicate the project to the project team as to what the project is about and what needs to be done. According to Susan Heathfield, “The vision of leadership permeates the workplace and is manifested in the actions, beliefs, values and goals of your organization’s leaders.”(2011) This would appear to be a very important trait of the project manager.

Another important characteristic would be that of honesty. Being honest is paramount for a project manager to establish and maintain credibility. If the pm simply tells p stake holders what they wish to hear, then the project and for that fact the pm lack integrity. Robert Moment stated that “it was found that companies displaying a “clear commitment to ethical conduct” almost invariably outperform companies that do not display ethical conduct.”(2004)

Still another trait would be knowledge. Not just knowledge about the project, but knowledge about the related parts and pieces of the project. About how the project will impact the users, customers, etc…. They need knowledge of life, in order to be able to discuss issues rationally with stakeholders. All of these traits, along with many more, are imperative that a project manager exhibit.

References

Heathfield, S. M. (n.d.). Leadership Vision. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from About.com website: http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/a/leader_vision.htm

Larson,